The month of March 2012 marked two major developments in the realm of nuclear safety and nuclear security with the one-year anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi and the second Nuclear Security Summit held in Seoul.

A number of important decisions and agreements were reached between parties of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa, although many issues remain unresolved.

The recent Fukushima Daiichi crisis has prompted the State Council of China to temporarily halt approval of new nuclear plants pending a comprehensive safety review. The outcome will have major implications for China’s nuclear industry and for its entire energy future.